Secularism

23 April 2023

ChatGPT learns about atheism

The Artificial Intelligence app ChatGPT wrote a nursery rhyme about God, but it would not write a nursery rhyme about atheism, because it said it cannot generate inappropriate or sensitive content. After a lengthy discussion about AI training data, freedom of religion or belief, discrimination,...

15 April 2023

How Ireland privileges religious bodies over equality, diversity, and inclusion

In Ireland, organisations with religious privilege live in a bubble. They never have to change their ways, because they can get away with giving lip service to equality, diversity, and inclusion and get lauded for it. The right to freedom of conscience, religion and belief...

9 April 2023

Religion in schools: Atheist Ireland responds to letter from Department of Education

Atheist Ireland has sent the following response to a letter from Bernie McNally, Secretary General of the Department of Education, regarding our correspondence with the Oireachtas Education Committee about the right to not attend religious instruction in schools. Dear Secretary General, We refer to your...

31 March 2023

Why schools must publish details of arrangements for not attending religion class

One of the issues that Atheist Ireland raised in our recent meeting with the Catholic Education Partnership was that schools are refusing to comply with the legal requirement to include in their admission policies arrangements for children who exercise their constitutional right to not attend...

29 March 2023

Schools ignore obligations under Constitution and European Convention on Human Rights

The Court of Appeal found that, when it interprets the obligations of a Board of Management under the Education Act 1998, it must have regard to the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights. Probably no Board of Management in the country is even...

26 March 2023

Atheist Ireland meets with Catholic Education Partnership to discuss freedom of belief in schools

Atheist Ireland had a constructive meeting this week with the Catholic Education Partnership, the body that coordinates Catholic education in Ireland. We met in Maynooth with chief executive officer Alan Hynes and chairperson Marie Griffin, and we have arranged a follow-up meeting to further discuss...

10 March 2023

New primary school curriculum framework could mean more religion teaching, not less

Yesterday the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, introduced the New Primary School curriculum framework. You can find the framework here and frequently asked questions here. This new Framework could mean more time spent on religion in primary schools, not less. Officially, the new curriculum reduces...

8 March 2023

The right to not attend religious instruction and sex education on the basis of conscience

Atheist Ireland has written the following letter to the Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD. Dear Minister, You have recently stressed that parents have a right to ensure that their children can withdraw from the updated sex education course on the basis of conscience. But...

7 March 2023

Atheist Ireland writes to Attorney General about right to not attend religious instruction

Atheist Ireland has written the following letter to the Attorney General about the constitutional right to not attend religious instruction in irish schools. Dear Mr Fanning, We are writing to you in your Constitutional capacity as the adviser of the Government in matters of law...

3 March 2023

Atheist Ireland welcomes WRC ruling on religious discrimination in employing military chaplains

The Workplace Relations Commission has ruled that the Irish Defence Forces discriminated on the ground of religion against former Atheist Ireland officer John Hamill by not giving him an equal opportunity to apply for the position of military chaplain. The Irish Times reported on this...